The Life and Times of Hannah Crafts: The True Story of The Bondwoman’s Narrative by Gregg Hecimovich (Ecco) won Phi Beta Kappa Society’s Christian Gauss Award for literary scholarship or criticism. Learn more here.

Applications are now open for several BIO awards and fellowship programs: the Hazel Rowley Prize, for first-time biographers; the Frances “Frank” Rollin Fellowship, for authors working on biographies on African American subjects; the Chip Bishop Fellowship, which helps subsidize attendance to the annual BIO Conference; and, the Robert and Ina Caro Research/Travel Fellowship. Find further information and application links here.

The Starr Center for the Study of the American Experience at Washington College is accepting applications for its full-time residential fellowship, which is offered to both scholars and non-academics who produce outstanding work on American history. The fellowship offers a $45,000 stipend, health benefits, faculty privileges, a book allowance, housing, and a nine-month residency. Applicants should have a work in progress regarding “the U.S. founding era and/or the nation’s founding ideas.” The deadline for submissions is December 15, 2024. Read more here.

The New England Biography Series, hosted by the Massachusetts Historical Society, will host three events this winter and spring:

• December 5, “Family Romance: John Singer Sargent and the Wertheimers,” featuring Jean Strouse in conversation with Natalie Dykstra
• March 27, “After Lives: On Biography and the Mysteries of the Human Heart,” featuring Megan Marshall in conversation with John Stauffer
• May 15, “Breaking Silences: Using Intimate Biography to Uncover the Lives of Thomas Wen Yi Liao and Mary Mon Toy,” with Kim Liao and Marnie Mueller, moderated by Megan Marshall

All events are accessible either in-person or online. Click here for more details.

A Florida entrepreneur, who set out to replace “costly ghostwriters,” has created the “Time of My Life” biography feature, driven by artificial intelligence (AI). The technology works by creating individual stories from a customer’s photos, videos, and audio recordings of a given event. The AI then generates a 3,000-word story about the event; the technology also enables users to create longer works. Learn more here.

by Mark Dawidziak
sold to St. Martin’s Press
by Charlotte Gusay at Charlotte Gusay Literary Agency

by David Michaelis
sold to Penguin Press
by Melanie Jackson at Melanie Jackson Agency

More titles here.

Patchen Barss
Susan Blumberg-Kason
Ray E. Boomhower
John A. Farrell
Robin Foster
Stephanie Gorton
Nigel Hamilton

Martin Klotz
Heath Hardage Lee
Patrick Parr
Carl Rollyson
John T. Shaw
Jennifer Skoog

Whatever state your biography’s in—vague idea, proposal, well underway—BIO’s experienced biographers can help. BIO offers a one-hour coaching session via phone or email for the member discounted rate of $60. (Coaches may charge more for subsequent hours.) Learn more about the program here.

Are you a student, or do you know one who is interested in biography? BIO now has a special student membership rate. Visit the BIO website to find out more.